Aerospace Engineering MEng/BEng (Hons) with foundation year

Study level: Undergraduate
Person holding up a model aeroplane in silhouette

Our Aerospace Engineering courses develop the skills and knowledge required by graduate engineers to join the teams of aerospace systems engineers worldwide, designing and developing systems for the next generation of aircraft.

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry) and
Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

BEng
4 years full-time
5 years sandwich

UCAS codes

H1DF

Start date

November 2024


Course overview

Our degree with foundation year could be the stepping stone you need to achieve your goals. The foundation year aims to prepare you for degree-level study and is a great way to build the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to succeed on your degree course. The degree with foundation year is only available for the BEng option.

Foundation year

This foundation year aims to provide you with the fundamental knowledge and skills needed in mathematics, as well as the theories and concepts of electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering.

Degree

The programme aims to enable you to develop a thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of systems engineering and how this knowledge is applied in the Aerospace Industry.

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Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

Foundation year

  • Supports you to gain the academic skills required for degree-level study
  • Provides a grounding in key areas of engineering and mathematics.

Degree

  • The course helps you develop a thorough, integrated understanding of mechanical, electrical and systems engineering and how this knowledge is applied in the aerospace industry. and you will have the opportunity to learn to apply your knowledge using industry standard tools and practices.
  • You will be taught by staff with industrial experience, having worked extensively in the sector (staff may be subject to change). Their research expertise ranges from aerodynamics, flight dynamics, aircraft structural analysis, crashworthiness modelling and avionics to human factors in aviation and is utilised both within the research-informed teaching on the course, and in the final year project.
  • Strong professional skills focus.
  • The combined theoretical and practical focus of the programme concentrates on engineering mathematics, mechanical, electrical and thermodynamic design, system simulation and modelling, control systems, aerodynamics, aircraft structures and manufacturing - all of which gives successful graduates a strong base from which to start your professional work in aerospace design.
9th

Coventry University ranked 9th for Aerospace Engineering

Guardian University Guide 2023

Accreditation and professional recognition

The degree is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:

Royal Aeronautical Society

Royal Aeronautical Society

Aerospace Engineering BEng (Hons) is accredited1 by the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), as fully meeting the educational requirements for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) registration (subject to additional costs) and partially satisfying the educational requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng) registration (subject to additional costs).


More than just a degree

During my time at Coventry University my life has changed in countless positive ways and I feel like my course has enhanced me with enough experiences to make a difference in the future. As far as engineering goes, the university has done an admirable job of preparing us for the highly competitive market awaiting us.

Marius Dorobantu, Aerospace Systems Engineering BEng (Hons), December 2020
Male student in front of a jet plane using a measurement tool

What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.

We want your degree to fit around you, so upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first-year courses

  • Aerospace Technology BEng (Hons)

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.

Modules

In year two, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with aerospace systems engineering and avionics systems, amongst others.

Modules

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement2 can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee3 of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.

Modules

In year three, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills to do with propulsion systems design and supersonic aerodynamics, amongst others.

Modules

If you meet the criteria, you could choose to take an additional fourth-year master's option, which will deepen your knowledge and expertise.

Modules

The foundation year offers an introduction to your chosen subject and supports you to develop the skills required for degree-level study.

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

The foundation year programme is focused on applied learning geared to high-intensity teaching and study throughout the programme, requiring full commitment from students. The delivery of course content is a blend of lectures, tutorials and online learning.

There are no end of year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which is more reflective of a working environment. The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.


Teaching contact hours

You can expect up to 20 hours of learning activities per week, made up of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, online classes and independent learning.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 30 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.


Assessment

Assessment methods vary and may include practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, oral presentations, tutorial tasks and assessments which generally take place at the end of each six-week block.

We encourage you to learn through stimulating activity, such as a project, problem, scenario, case study or enquiry in a classroom, laboratory or work setting. When considering avionic systems, for example, we study a number of real-life case studies, including the design and development of hands-on Arduino based projects for aircraft data logging and control.

We aim to present aerospace systems engineering knowledge in an integrated way to reflect the multiplicity and interaction between many types of scientific, commercial, manufacturing and managerial skills and knowledge, necessary to produce a successful engineering product or system.

You will have the opportunity to work with current staff on real-world problems from industry, commerce and research groups, as you would in professional practice; this means that you can develop all of the professional skills at the same time as learning the technical content of your degree.


Teaching contact hours

We understand that everyone learns differently, so each of our courses will consist of structured teaching sessions, which can include:

  • On campus lectures, seminars and workshops
  • Group work
  • Self-directed learning
  • Work placement opportunities2.

The number of contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 16 contact hours per week in the first year, reducing to around 15 contact hours per week in the second, third and MEng year as you become a more independent learner. In addition, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study approximately 16-20 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods include:

  • Formal examinations
  • Phase tests
  • Essays
  • Group work
  • Presentations
  • Reports
  • Projects
  • Coursework
  • Exams
  • Individual Assignments
  • Laboratories

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


International experience opportunities

The university is committed to providing a global educational experience and we encourage you to undertake a placement year or study year abroad after your second year of study. We will endeavour to support you in finding a placement anywhere in the world and in seeking financing for that experience.

The majority of work placements have been within the UK, but previous students have been placed in GKN Aerospace (Munich, Germany), Bertrandt (Hamburg, Germany) and Airbus (Toulouse, France). The majority of study abroad students have studied at high education institutions within Europe, including Aerospace Engineering at UPM, Spain.

Previous students on the programme have had the opportunity to gain experience of the industry first-hand through our exciting industry-focused field trips, which have previously included the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in the US and Airbus (Toulouse), Airbus (Marseille) and Finmeccanica in Europe.

Please note that all UK and international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability, and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements are therefore not guaranteed2.


Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

80 UCAS tariff points. All foundation courses require 5 GCSEs at A-C/4-9 including Maths and English, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification.

If you don’t fulfil the entry criteria your application may be considered on an individual basis, taking into account any work experience, other qualifications and/or any training you have completed.

Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Got higher grades? Have you considered direct entry to the degree without foundation year?


Fees and funding

2024/25 tuition fees.

Foundation year

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £7,950 Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

Degree

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £9,250 per year Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

Please note: UK (home) tuition fees for the degree course years will be charged at the current Coventry University UK (home) degree fee level. This was set at £9,250 for the 23/24 academic year.

If you choose to do a work placement2, you should consider travel and living costs to cover this. There is also a tuition fee3 of £1,250 that will cover your academic support throughout your placement year.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

Foundation year funding

In order to receive funding for degree with foundation year courses, you will need to complete a four-year degree programme which includes the integrated foundation year, otherwise you may be responsible for your foundation year fees. For further information, please refer to the 'Tuition Fee Loan' details in the 'Funding your undergraduate course' section of our 'Fees and finance' page.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**This course with foundation year is not currently available to international students. If you do not meet the entry requirements to directly join year 1 of the degree, please take a look at our International Pathways Programme for additional options.


Facilities

Our foundation years are taught at CU Coventry’s Mile Lane building, a short walk from the city centre. You’re part of the university from day one, so during your foundation year you’ll have access to the wider facilities at Coventry University. Once you successfully complete your foundation year, you'll transfer over to studying your chosen degree at Coventry University, where you'll be taught on campus in the relevant academic buildings.

Located on our Mile Lane campus, you will have access to our Library and Learning Services (LLS), fully equipped seminar rooms and IT suites4. You can also take advantage of reading rights in Coventry University’s Lanchester Library, make use of sport centre facilities and receive full membership to Your Students' Union.

Two students walking outside with the CU Coventry building behind them.

Mile Lane

The campus is home to an on-site library with bookable one-to-one academic writing service and library support sessions, fully equipped seminar rooms, open-access study areas, a café and an IT suite. Our labs contain industry-standard equipment so that you learn using the same equipment as many industry professionals.

A student working in a booth in The Hub.

The Hub

At The Hub you'll find the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the Students’ Union and Square One (which provides entertainment from quiz nights to live music), the Spirituality and Faith Centre, Tank Studio, Careers Office and a fantastic food court.

External view of the Lanchester Library.

Lanchester Library

Coventry University’s Lanchester Library is open 24/7, 364 days a year and has 1,400 study spaces, including group and silent areas. It also currently offers more than 550 computers and an additional 120 free-to-loan laptops.

 

All students have on and off-site access to, and receive training on, commercial engineering software, including 3D CAD, Finite Element Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics and Multibody Dynamic Systems for design, simulation and analysis.

Our excellent practical facilities include a full-size Harrier Jet (used for teaching), five full-scale flight simulators, wind tunnels, UAV workshop, flow and heat transfer labs, composites lab, metrology lab, electrical/electronics lab, fatigue and tensile testing (Instron), a range of CNC machinery, banks of 3D printers and a laser workshop4.

Flight Simulators

Flight Simulators

Our simulators create an exciting way to learn, with 61 channels of flight data which can be analysed to assess the accuracy of a student's own design. The simulators are incorporated into an air traffic control environment.

Harrier Jet

Harrier Jet

Our Harrier T4 allows students to gain hands-on experience with the parts, tools and mechanical aspects of a real aircraft. It is used by many engineering disciplines to learn how an aircraft works and how to maintain it.

Model Making Shop

Model Making Shop

Used by our aerospace students to build model aircrafts. The workshop includes laser cutting, wood working and foam cutting technology to help bring our students' designs into the real world.


Careers and opportunities

The MEng and BEng Aerospace Engineering courses are designed to provide students with the opportunity to acquire the vital skills required to join the teams of engineers designing and developing systems for the next generation of aircraft.

The course is centred upon systems for aerospace vehicles and the requirement to design total system solutions including both practical and virtual design skills. Previous graduates have obtained jobs as systems design engineers for large aircraft and propulsion manufacturers as well as systems suppliers to the aviation industry.

Aerospace Systems Engineering graduates seek not only employment within the aerospace industry, but their problem-solving skill sets can make them highly employable within a variety of industries.

This course aims to produce graduates with the skills to become successful system-design engineers and engineering managers, both in aerospace and the wider engineering context, in fields such as aircraft and components design and manufacture, maintenance and testing, propulsion systems, flight simulation, aviation, avionics, patent engineering, financial services and many more.

Where our graduates work

Previous graduates have obtained jobs as systems design engineers for large aircraft and propulsion manufacturers e.g. Airbus, BAE Systems, GE Aviation and Rolls Royce, as well as systems suppliers to the aviation industry including Meggitt, Goodrich, Moog and Collins Aerospace.

Further study

For those on the BEng course, a transfer to the MEng course may be possible after the second year of study subject to meeting the entry requirements.

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